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Getting Worked Up About Work
Why a strong work ethic is one of the best things you can give your children.
The most important “work” I do is not the work itself, but the simple fact that I do it.
That’s an oversimplified response to a writing prompt that sparks a great deal of reflection. The more work experience you have, the more there is to think about. And since I got my first paying job over forty years ago, as a Burger King cashier working the late-night drive-thru, my mind wanders recklessly when I think about what work means to me.
When you’re a kid, work means freedom. I still remember the very first paycheck I received and how cool it felt to be able to buy something with money that I’d earned myself. I didn’t have to ask my mom or dad for the cash, or consider how they felt about what I wanted to buy. It was my choice, and my choice alone.
That feeling perpetuates itself. You get a taste of it, and you want more. Those lessons I learned when I was young have followed me my entire life, and I’ll always be grateful to my parents for teaching me how to work hard.
That’s something I wanted to pass along to my own kids once I became a parent myself. I’m not sure if it’s because society has changed, but I did find that trickier than I anticipated. Kids seem to want…
